Hindsight
by EcoJak
Summary: AU. To learn from his past, one ancient warrior, Sora, must live out his future.
1. Prologue

_**Hindsight: Prologue**_

_Hindsight(hind-sit)n. Comprehension or understanding of an event after it has happened._

_Rated __**T**__, for blood and gore._

_All characters and concepts copyright to Square Enix._

_Titania, Melcanum, and Magnum copyright to me. _

_----------_

_Long ago, there lived an elite group of samurai warriors known only as the Immortals. To protect the world from danger, these four warriors set out into the unknown to battle the forces of darkness. _

_The Immortals also rode legendary, mystical beasts known as Wyverns. These Wyverns offered support in battle, and forged strong bonds with their riders. Unfortunately, a massive plague targeted these creatures, and their numbers decreased day by day. Only a handful of Wyverns remain, and the Immortals have sworn to defend these mystic beasts to the end, as well as the rest of the world._

_People were amazed by the strength of these powerful warriors, and admired their courage. It seemed that, under their protection, no one would ever fall to the forces of darkness again._

_Or, so it seemed..._

_-------_

_**Rabanastre, Imperial Castle- 1807 A.D.**_

_**March 2nd, 12:01 A.M.**_

"Sir, he's heading into the castle!"

"Storm the castle! Don't let him get away!"

Thunder loomed deeply in the night sky, followed by heavy mist and streaks of rain that flooded the streets of Rabanastre. Countless numbers of samurais, swordsmen, and Wyvern Riders charged into battle, swords raised, ready to defend the city with their very lives.

One of the four Immortals, Ansem, had gone rampant after a mission to protect the ultimate weapon, and the world's most powerful Wyvern in existance, Melcanum. Hearing rumors about how Melcanum once caused destruction and devastation across the world, Ansem fled into the castle to find the powerful beast.

Thousands of strange, dark soldiers guarded the castle. With strangely patterned armour, beady yellow eyes, and twitchy, crazed movements, the soldiers were, in no way, human. As some were slaughtered, the dark creatures multiplied, and their forces only grew. It seemed hopeless.

A flash of silver spiraled in the dark sky as blasts of blue fire exploded into the bridge. A shrill cry echoed throughout the night and a blast of wind swept past the warriors off their feet. With another soft screech, the silver beast disembarked onto the bridge, and a young swordsman dismounted, his wooden sandals splashing against the rain-soaked monument.

Two guards at the castle's doorway gawked in awe at the massive beast. In a flash of white light, the dragon-like creature morphed into a harmless doll, that gave a rubbery squeak as it landed on the stone bridge. The warrior picked up the doll from the ground and latched it to his kimono.

"A silver Wyvern... ? Then... you must be--"

"Sora." The warrior replied coolly. "I need to get in that castle."

"We can't allow that." The second guard responded. "Those... those _things_ are in there, multiplying by the minute. If any harm were to befall one of the Immortals--"

Unseathing his sword Tsukuyomi, Sora shoved past the guards and bolted right into the castle.

--------

The castle was eerily quiet.

Of all the Wyvern Riders, samurais, swordsmen, and any other soldiers that stormed the castle, not a single one could be heard. What the guards had said was true. Whatever these dark monsters were, they were multiplying, and fast. He needed to get to the bottom of this soon.

As more of the shadows threw themselves from the walls, Sora sliced through them with ease. Finding his two fellow Immortals, Sephiroth and Kuja, was the hazel-haired warrior's top priority at the moment. They'd said they would go to the castle to find Ansem themselves, and Sora followed soon after. But why couldn't he hear them? At the most, he would've heard fighting...

A broken squeak from his sandeled foot suddenly caught his attention. Looking down, Sora was overcome with confusion and horror. Sephiroth and Kuja's Wyvern dolls were sliced up almost completely beyond recognition. A trail of blood led to a gothic-looking chamber, and Sora brust inside. The stone door slammed against the chamber, the resulting thud echoing throughout the silent chamber. Sora skidded to a halt upon entering the room.

The young warrior resisted the urge to scream at the sight. There was blood everywhere, absolutely everywhere. All that remained of the soldiers were their weapons and armour, and among those soldiers were two Sora immedately recognized. Sephiroth and Kuja.

Their bodies were sliced up and battered, their eyes gazing vacantly into death. From the looks of the chamber, an intense battle had ensued. Picking up another dead soldier, Ansem bowed to a gigantic statue and offered the body. Looking closer at the statue, Sora realized it wasn't a statue at all.

It was Melcanum.

Melcanum the ultimate Wyvern. And Ansem was sacrificing people for it.

"I can't believe you..." Sora's broken voice echoed in the chamber. "Why? How could you do this?"

Ansem turned to face the boy and smirked devilishly. "Why, you ask? It's quite simple." Lifting himself off his sitting position, Ansem reached for his lance. "Even though I am an Immortal, this world has shunned me. They reject me for my beliefs, reject my ways. And for that, they must suffer."

Sora couldn't hold it in anymore. "They were our friends! Our allies! We never shunned you, never doubted you, we took you in... why did you do this to them?" Tears streamed down his face, and he sobbed uncontrollably.

It took the older male a moment to respond, and when he did, his evil smirk came back full-force. "I just realized that I love killing." Ansem drew closer to Sora, the boy's heart catching in his throat, his body resisting the urge to just get up and run. "Melcanum can make this happen. We can destroy this miserable world and remake it to my likeness. I can do as I please."

"...what about the innocent people you swore to protect? Swore to help in their time of need?"

"I don't care anymore. They never cared about me. They deserve to die."

"And people who've never met you? What about them? They didn't do anything."

"Yet. They haven't had the chance to mock me yet. I'll destroy them before that happens."

Sora was silent for a few minutes, unbelieveing of what he was hearing. Ansem... his mentor, his friend. They'd saved him from near-death. Took him in. And all this just... happened in an instant. His fist clenched tighter against Tsukuyomi, unable to control his emotions. Ansem betrayed everyone.

A low chuckle suddenly erupted from the silver-haired man's throat, jerking Sora out of his thoughts. "Maybe I should start with that little lover of yours. Oh, what's her name... ?" Ansem's tone took on a feigned innocence tone. "Ah, yes. Kairi."

A gasp involuntarily escaped Sora's lips. He wouldn't...

"...her blood everywhere, like a fountain. Ah, yes. What a beautiful sight."

"You... you _monster!_" Sora quickly unseathed Amaterasu as well and charged at the silver-haired man. Ansem drew his lance and, with alarming speed, stabbed his former ally in the chest. Sora hacked on a mound of blood and gazed up at Ansem, torquoise eyes filled with hatred and sorrow. "Y... you'll... you'll pay for... for this." He gasped, his breathing ragged.

"Nobody can stop me." Ansem violently yanked the lance out of Sora's bloody chest and watched as the boy hacked and choked. "Not even you." The silver haired man lifted his lance into the air and chuckled manically. "You never saw anything." And with that, in a blinding flash of speed, the lance gouged the young boy straight in the eyes as his vision went black.

--------

It was so dark, yet so wonderfully confortable. He felt no pain, no fear, just serentity. He felt a hand suddenly decend on his forehead as his senses slowly came back to him. Pain was blossoming in his chest, his head... his heart.

_No... no, keep the pain out. _He hazily thought. _I like it here. It's... comfortable._

"...u... ugh..."

"...Sora... awake... ?" A hazy voice invaded his head. It sounded so distant, yet he felt their presence right there with him.

The boy's brow furrowed as a headache slowly blossomed in his skull. He groaned, but he felt too disoriented to even open his eyes. He wanted to wake up, to move around, but found himself incapable of doing so. His body ached intensely and he couldn't make heads or tails of anything.

"Sora, wake up."

Some of the dizziness lifted. Who was talking to him? The voice sounded female... It sounded familiar. Was it Kairi? It had to be. He knew that if he didn't wake up soon, she'd most certainly have his ass later.

Slowly blinking open his heavy, turquoise eyes, he noticed that the room was dark. Very dark. He couldn't even see Kairi in the darkness and worry quickly swept through him. He opened his mouth to call out to her, but his voice was dry and hoarse.

"It's alright, Sora." Sora felt a gentle hand decend on his chest, and he jerked suddenly, not realizing she was right there.

"W... here am I? I don't... I can't... I can't remember... what hap-- ugh!" The boy shot up suddenly, cringing in pain from the wound in his chest. Stroking a hand over the wound, he felt bandages leading from his collarbone to his torso. Kairi placed a reassuring hand on his back which caused Sora to flinch again at the unannounced physical contact.

"It's alright, you're home. You suffered some pretty serious injuries from that fight, but luckily I was around to help you." Sora could practically see the huge, self-confident grin on the young girl's face and smiled slightly himself.

"Heh... aren't I lucky?"

The two lovers sat in silence for a few moments before Kairi spoke up. "I heard about what happened. They didn't deserve to die."

Sora felt a pang of sorrow at the thought. Sephiroth. Kuja. He'd known them forever, and now they... they were just... gone. His mind was willing to accept the fact, but he knew it'd take longer for his heart to mend. And it was all Ansem's fault. Clenching his fists against the white blanket, the young warrior vowed to never allow that man to harm another living soul ever again. Not allowing himself to be overcome by such negative thoughts, Sora quickly decided to change the subject.

"So... what happened to me?"

Kairi's eyes darkened, though the hazel-haired warrior couldn't see it.

"Ansem stabbed you in the chest and eyes, Sora. You lost a huge amount of blood, and I almost didn't find you in time if Magnum hadn't come to warn me. When I did find you though, you were near-death. There was so much blood around you... I was so afraid I'd lose you." Kairi quickly swept an arm over her tear-stained eyes. "I was able to heal the wound in your chest and your eyes, but... "

Sora's heart plummeted. "But..."

A moment of silence incurred and he felt his lungs freeze in place from the anticipation.

"I'm sorry. I was only able to fix the wound. I wasn't able to restore your sight."

"Oh..."

"Are you mad?"

Sora blindly looked up. He hated it when Kairi was sad, and gave the cheesiest smile he could muster. "No, not at all. There're other ways to get around. I just have to find them, right?"

Kairi giggled a bit. "Right."

Feeling for the edge of the bed, Sora slid his feet onto the cold, wooden floor. Pushing himself off the bed with a slight, "Hup!", he grinned at Kairi once more, before reeling slightly. Panicked, Kairi was quick to grab him by the arm.

"Hold on, we should wait for your injuries to completely heal."

"Aw, come on, Kairi. I can't let a little thing like that slow me down."

Kairi laughed and shook her head. "That's right, I forgot. You're stubborn."

"Guess we should get started then."

"I guess we should." Kairi began to walk out before Sora grabbed her arm and pulled her into a gentle hug.

"Thank you."

-----

_**Calm Lands- Six months later**_

_**September 10th, 5:15 P.M.**_

_Kairi..._

He had trained with her for six months, to help him get by. She had taught him to rely on his other senses to see, as well as the ability to sense another living creature by its heartbeat. It was almost like he'd never lost his vision at all. He cared for Kairi so deeply and it seemed that nothing would ever tear them apart.

But one tragic day, when she'd had gone into their small, wooden home to get some supplies, he found her and her Wyvern plushie sliced and beaten to death in the kitchen. There was so much blood everywhere. He'd never been more scared or confused in his life. But then it hit him. He knew for a fact who it was who murdered her.

_"Maybe I should start with that little lover of yours. Oh, what's her name... ?" Ansem's tone took on a feigned innocence tone. "Ah, yes. Kairi."_

_A gasp involuntarily escaped Sora's lips. He wouldn't..._

_"...her blood everywhere, like a fountain. Ah, yes. What a beautiful sight."_

Ansem. That dirty, lowlife bastard.

It was then that he and his faithful Wyvern, Titania, had set out to put an end to Ansem once and for all. Sora knew that he'd go directly for Melcanum again, and had Titania follow his scent. Strangely enough, Titania began to disembark over, what felt like to him, the Calm Lands.

_Ansem's... here? Why?_

Dismounting Titania, Sora turned to blindly face Ansem, his two swords ready.

"I can't believe you'd go as far as to kill her, you dirty, sick bastard. If you wanted someone to fight, fight me!"

No response. He'd sure hoped Titania wasn't just making a pit stop, since he'd look pretty damn foolish yelling that to himself.

"Love, sorrow, joy, friendship..." Sora jerked at Ansem voice. "We were taught to abandon these things. Sorrow is a sign of weakness. A sign that the body has been defeated by emotion." Sora heard Ansem take a few steps forward and tensed. If he wasn't careful, he'd lose a lot more than his sight this time. "Wouldn't you agree, my friend?" Sora jumped up suddenly, the silver-haired man's voice coming from about a foot behind him.

"Melcanum will betray you." Sora growled in a low whisper. "Just as you betrayed us."

"Oh, I think not."

Just then, the ground began to rumble. Titania snarled and readied itself into an attacking position, which caught Sora off guard. He couldn't let his Wyvern get caught up in all this.

"Titania, capture!"

Titania's body glowed a soft white light, and, just as before, morphed into the doll. Before Sora could reach the doll, his path was blocked by an immense Wyvern rising up from the ground. Its roar shook the very foundation of the Calm Lands itself and Ansem leapt onto the massive creature.

"Ansem! Get down here and fight!" Sora called out, chucking one of his swords at the beast's eye. Melcanum shreaked in agony and thrashed its head wildly about, Ansem barely holding on.

"Why you little-- Melcanum! End this!" With an almighty roar, Melcanum's massive claw collided directly with the boy, knocking him deep underground. Sora staggered to his feet and realized he'd been knocked into an underground cave of some sort. But before he had time to react, the Wyvern's mouth glowed blue and a stream of scorching fire erupted from its mouth. The fire was so intense, Sora felt as if his body was melting to the bone. If he didn't do something, anything soon, he'd die.

Wait. There was one thing, but it was risky.

_No, it can't end like this! I have no choice..._

Sora did the only thing he could think to do to save himself. His body glowed light, and he stood up straight. Placing Tsukuyomi and Amaterasu in the ground to either side of the cave, he levitated off the ground slightly, and whisps of energy wrapped around him like a flower.

_I'm sorry... Kairi... _

In a flash of light, the energy hardened into a pure crystal, and Sora was trapped inside. The crystal reflected the massive blast of fire back at both Melcanum and Ansem, and the two hurried to escape the blast.

"Damn him! Damn that brat! I'm gonna kill hi-- AGGH!"

The fire caught up with them and both Ansem and Melcanum screeched as it incinerated them both.

------

_A light tear slid from his eye. He knew she'd be avenged... but at a terrible price._

_'All your work. All your labour... for me. I'm sorry... Kairi.'_

_It was then that he fell into a deep sleep, the humming of the crystal his harmonic lullaby._


	2. The Warrior in the Crystal

_**Hindsight: Chapter I**_

_**Mideel Village, Infirmary Hut- 199 years later**_

_**September 8th, 4:30 P.M.**_

A gentle hand decended on the sheets of a bed in the infirmary, where a young, silver-haired male laid. He looked so peaceful, sleeping there like that. She smiled.

"You idiot." She gently giggled. "If you wanted to help collect herbs, you should've asked me first, instead of running straight into the woods. I told you there'd be snakes."

He slowly cracked an eye open and smiled slightly himself. "Sorry, Namine."

She giggled and ruffled his hair. "It's alright. Just don't do anything dumb like that again. I almost had a heart attack when the doctors told me!"

A soft knock came from the door, and a young boy with blonde, spiky hair walked in. "Namine, the doctors said we need to go home now. It's getting late."

"Okay." She simply replied. "I guess I'll see you later then, Riku. Try not to overwork yourself again, okay?"

A slight chuckle. "Yes, _mom_."

Finished, Namine lifted herself off the bed, and left with her brother to go home. As the two walked down the small hill to their home, the blonde haired boy, Roxas, suddenly spoke up.

"You know..." He began. "In a couple of days, it'll be the anniversary of the deaths of the last two Immortals."

"Oh yeah, that's right. So, we'll gather up some nice flowers and head off to the Calm Lands, right? I wonder if Riku'll feel up to i--"

"Actually..." Roxas cut in. "I can't go."

Surprised, Namine hurried in front of Roxas and blocked his path. "Aww, why not?"

Roxas' eyes darkened, and Namine dreaded to hear what was coming next.

"I'm joining the military, remember? We need their support to get by; going from town to town and curing people just isn't cutting it anymore."

"Oh..." Came the dissapointed reply.

"Hey, cheer up! Like you said, maybe Riku'll feel up to it and he can go with you."

"It's not that I'm worried about."

"Oh?"

"It's just..." Namine began softly, twidling her thumbs. "I'm afraid that... you won't come back."

"Namine..." Roxas sighed, before pulling his sister into a gentle hug. "I'll come back. I promise."

The younger girl smiled and laughed softly. "Of course you will, silly."

"Now, let's go home. I gotta feed Angelo."

Namine pulled away from his brother's arms and bolted down the hill. "I'll race you!"

"Hey, no fair! You got a head-start!" Roxas laughed before running after his crazed sister.

-----

_Ba-bump..._

_Bump..._

_He felt it. The reverberating thump echoed in his mind._

_In the abyss, the wyvern stirred slightly. Glowing, golden eyes shimmered in the darkness as the thump echoed again. _

_**My lord... are you awakening?**_

-----

_**Highroad, Calm Lands outskirts**_

_**September 10th, 3:47 P.M.**_

The day of reckoning had finally come. The 200th anniversary of the Immortals' death, as well as the day Namine's brother Roxas would be deployed to the military. Tying the Chocobo to a pillar so it wouldn't run off, Namine approached her brother one last time.

"I really hate to see you go."

"I know." Roxas replied darkly. "I wish there was something I could do."

Reaching into her magic pouch, Namine pulled out a soft, white plushie toy strongly resembling one of the fabled Wyverns.

"Here. Riku said he found this around here one day and gave it to me as a gift. It's given me luck for the longest time. I want you to have it."

The older boy, in turn, stood silent for a moment, before smiling down at his younger sibling. "No, you keep it. Without me around, you'll need all the luck you can get."

"Roxas..."

"I'll be fine. Trust me."

The foghorn on the airship blew deeply and Roxas jerked up. "Oh no, I have to go, now. Bye, Namine! Take care of yourself!" Without a word more, the blonde haired boy darted to the ship and slipped through the door before it shut.

"Bye! Don't go getting yourself killed, now!" Namine waved back to her brother, but within a few minutes, the ship rose into the sky and faded from view.

Sighing, the girl's hand fell to her side. "He's gone..." She whispered softly to herself, still clutching the toy.

A shrill _waaaark _behind her suddenly caught her attention. Walking up to the Chocobo and untying it from the pillar, Namine boarded the yellow bird and lifted the reins, placing the flowers in a pouch to the side, and the toy in her magic pouch.

"Well, time to do what I came here to do." With that, the blonde-haired girl snapped the reins and she was off.

-----

_**Calm Lands, Cave of Repentance**_

_**1 hour later**_

It was her very first time to the underground concourse and she was astounded by what she saw. Beautiful, glowing crystals lined the tunnelways of the cave and her gentle footsteps echoed throughout. This had to be the place. According to the legend, it was where the two remaining Immortals, Ansem and Sora, fought to the death and the two warriors ultimately destroyed each other.

_Rwaaaa..._

Namine jerked up at the sound and frantically looked around. It was probably just a mouse.

Clutching the pouch of flowers tighter to her chest, the young girl continued on. She needed to get a grip. It was just a cave, nothing out of the ordinary. No ghosts, no monsters, no--

_Rwaaaaa..._

That was the last straw. Panting heavily, Namine raced down the tunnelway and finally made her way to the Repentance Chamber. What she saw there absolutely astounded her.

A giant, glowing crystal jutted out of the ground before her, laced with several smaller crystals surrounding it and two rusty swords in the ground on either side of the crystal. Gasping, the young girl slowly stepped forward, the humming of the crystal's power almost hypnotizing. Gently laying a hand upon it, she felt the crystal's power run through her.

It seemed... alive.

_Ba-thump..._

_Ba-thump..._

Quickly pulling her hand free of the crystal, Namine set the flowers down by it, offered a short prayer, and turned to leave, her task accomplished. Brushing past one of the crystals, the wyvern plushie snagged on the edge and the toy fell to the ground, detached from her dress. As she went to pick it up, however, the toy started to glow a white light, as did the crystals in the chamber. They seemed to hum in harmony with the larger crystal.

The room shook. And an echoing thump reverberated in her head.

_Ba-thump..._

_Ba-thump..._

The crystal glowed brighter and brighter. The foundation of the chamber shook more as the crystal grew in power.

_...l... me..._

Namine gasped and froze in place. Someone was definately here.

_..elp... m..._

Trembling, the young girl slowly approached the crystal once more. She knew it was a bad idea, but somehow... she couldn't stop.

_Help... me..._

Looking closely into the crystal, she could faintly make out the shape of a boy. Her heart leapt in her chest. She needed to get him out of there!

Summoning her mallet, Namine stuck at the crystal again and again with all her strength, but the crystal stood strong. She needed to bust it. She couldn't just let him die in there.

Suddenly, the crystal began to crack and rumble. Stepping back, the young girl watched as it slowly folded open, like a flower blooming, and was blown back as a shockwave erupted from it. Staggering to her feet, the young girl looked up and saw the boy floating in the center of the crystal, giant transparent wings flapping softly and gently on his back, keeping him levitated. His eyes glew a beautiful shade of neon as well as he stared intently at the girl.

She was absolutely speechless.

At that moment, the boy gasped sharply, and collapsed to the ground in a heap. The glowing of the crystals died, and all was silent. With a small cry, Namine rushed up to the boy and held him in her arms. Placing an ear to his chest, she felt a weak heartbeat and cradled him. His skin was slightly warm and his breathing was very soft.

He must've been in the crystal for a very long time.

The boy gave a soft groan and his head lolled to the side. She needed to get him back to the village, but with all the chaos happening in the cave, the Chocobo would've most likely ran off. She needed some other means of getting there.

Another groan escaped the boy's throat and his eyes shifted open slightly. Namine gasped at the sight of the boy's eyes.

They were faded. He was blind.

"W... wh... o... ?" The boy sighed weakly.

Shaking off her excitement, Namine talked to the boy, comforting him. "Don't worry, you'll be alright. You've just been asleep for a very long time. My name is Namine, I'm going to help you get better, okay?"

It took a few moments for the boy to respond, his mind obviously extremely disoriented and attempting to comprehend what the young girl had said to him, but his reply was a simple nod.

"Alright, now we just need to find a way to get you back to the village..."

The boy lifted an arm, heavy with fatigue, and reached to the wyvern doll at the edge of the cave. "R... _release!_"

Slightly confused, Namine looked towards the doll and was in shock at what happened next. The doll glew a powerful white light, like before, and slowly morphed into a giant, dragon-like creature. Its eyes were a deep shade of yellow, its armour shined brillantly in the sun, and it let out an almighty screech to the heavens.

A Wyvern. She had a Wyvern this entire time.

Wait. If this was a Wyvern, then this boy had to be...

"Excuse me, do you think you could tell me your name?"

The boy nodded, and his response was soft due to his waning strength. "S... Sora..." And that was it. He was out again.

She couldn't believe it. In her arms, she held the last living Immortal who was believed to be dead. She definately had to get him help, fast.

Lifting the warrior onto the Wyvern's back, the young girl pulled the two swords out of the ground and mounted the majestic creature. Holding onto Sora tightly, and with a kick of her feet to the Wyvern, they headed through the opening in the heart of the cave and the dragon-like creature was off.

-----

_**Mideel Village**_

Sitting on the floor outside her room, Namine fiddled with the plushie in her hands. She still couldn't believe it. The tiny mound of fabric and stitches was one of the most powerful creatures in existance, and she was carrying it this entire time. And to add to her shock, she'd discovered an ancient warrior from _200 years _ago.

He was still alive... there was still hope for the world.

The door gave a small creak, and Riku stepped out, looking down at his younger companion. Namine bolted up and met his gaze.

"How is he?"

"He's running a slight fever. But, other than that, he's fine."

"Can I see him?"

Riku nodded. "Yes. But be careful, he needs to rest."

"Okay." Namine nodded and entered the room.

She found the boy in her bed, sleeping. A cool, wet cloth was placed on his forehead, and his cheeks were a slight shade of red. His breathing was soft and even, and he was dressed in some of Riku's old pajamas.

His body was much warmer than before, and he was sweating. Namine laid a gentle hand on his forearm, and Sora stirred slightly.

"...Namine?"

"Yeah, it's me."

Sora smiled slightly. "Thank you... for rescuing me."

"It's no big deal." Namine smiled back. "Do you remember what happened?"

Sora was silent for a moment. His thoughts were a mess and his clouded mind was having difficulty recalling most things at the moment. He blinked heavily and turned towards Namine's voice. "...No. My... my mind's hazy. I don't remember much, I'm afraid."

"Oh. Okay." The young girl replied, her hope deflating. She was hoping she'd get some insight on what really happened that day.

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay, really." Namine replied happily. "You were asleep for a very long time, I'm sure it must to hard to think."

"How..." Sora began, not knowing a better way to phrase his question, but at the same time, fearful for the answer. "How long have I been asleep?"

"Sora..." Namine spoke softly and gently. "I'm... I won't lie to you. If what the legends say is true, and you really are the last remaining Immortal..." Here, Namine trailed off, her mind refusing to speak the truth, but she forced it out anyway. Taking a deep breath, she continued. "You were in that crystal for 200 years."

Sora's eyes widened, in shock of what he was hearing. "200... years... ? How... how is that possible?"

"It must've preserved you somehow, because you look like you haven't aged a day. If I hadn't found you... you would've probably slept in that crystal... forever."

Suddenly, Sora jumped up and swarmed Namine with a tight hug, sobbing wildly into her shoulder, as if letting go meant falling back into that eternal sleep. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you... !" He practically screamed, overcome with joy.

"Hey, it's what we White Mages do." Namine giggled.

"Wait... you're a White Mage?" Sora responded, confused and still tear-filled.

"Of course!" The mage replied happily. "I go from town to town, healing the sick and helping people, just trying to get by."

Sora was silent for a bit, still sniffling softly. _Kairi... Kairi was a White Mage. She loved helping people... _

Namine noticed the sad look on her new-found friend's face, and decided to change the subject. "I know I sound really rude for asking this, you don't have to answer if you don't want to, but... were you born blind, or... did something happen?"

Sora looked up at Namine suddenly and the mage quickly panicked. "Oh, no! No! Never mind! Forget I asked such a stupid thing! I mean, it's none of my business to--"

"...It happened a long time ago." Sora began. Namine calmed down and listened carefully. "I was just stabbed in the eyes by someone, no big deal. Hell, I lost more important things than _that._"

Namine was amazed. He didn't care that he was blind? If it was her, she'd probably be scared beyond belief, not knowing how to get by.

As if he read her thoughts, Sora continued. "My friend Kairi was a White Mage as well. She specialized in healing and curing diseases and she helped prevent me from dying when I was stabbed. She helped me get by. I really cared about her. She was... my lover, heh. You kind of remind me of her." He smiled at his new companion at those words.

Namine paused for a moment. She didn't feel comfortable asking about this Kairi, but... "What happened to her?" she asked quietly.

"She... she died. She was murdered."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"Hey, it's okay. Ansem's dead and buried, I feel better about it now."

Namine smiled. "I'm glad."

Settling back down into bed, Sora blindly gazed at the ceiling. "...Namine?"

"Hm?"

"You said you travel from town to town, helping people... right?"

"Yep."

"Can I join you? I really have no place to go."

"Of course, we just have to wait until you're better, that's all. Seeing an Immortal around might give the people hope too."

Sora chuckled. "Yeah."

"Sora, Riku, and Namine! Restoring the world, one person at a time!"

The hazel-haired warrior grinned and closed his tired eyes. This was going to be the beginning of a great adventure.


	3. Truth and Fiction

_**Hindsight: Chapter 2**_

_**Calm Lands, Cave of Repentance**_

_**Four days later**_

"Come on, Marluxia. We're not gonna find anything here, so let's just go."

The man in question, Marluxia, shot a glare at his companion. It'd already taken him three days just to arrive at the Calm Lands by foot and he wasn't going to stop now. The massive crystal that was supposed to guard the land had lost its power recently, and the pink-haired man was determined to get to the bottom of this.

"No, Zexion."

The younger male pouted. He'd considered going back alone, but in his haste, he'd forgotten to carry a weapon and relied on the older male for protection. To add to his rotten luck, once Marluxia's mind was made up, there would be absolutely no turning back.

Upon entering the cave, Zexion couldn't supress the gasp that slipped through his lips. The crystals that lined the long and winding path to the cave were dead, their power depleted. Marluxia gazed upon the crystals with interest.

"So, it's true."

"So what's true? What?" Zexion pondered curiously.

Without a word, the older male continued down the path, now more determined than ever to figure out the source of the problem. With a slight yelp, Zexion bolted after Marluxia, not wanting to be left behind. Within a few minutes, the two males eventually reached the heart of the cave where the main crystal was, and were stunned by the sight.

The crystal was... folded open?

"How is this even possible?" Marluxia questioned in a strange whisper.

Walking past the pink-haired male, Zexion examined the rest of the cave. "These other crystals are cracked. Almost like something busted out of there."

"It can't be." Marluxia stated, confused. "Then _that _one would be busted as well. And what kind of crystal _folds_?"

Climbing into the monstrocity, Zexion scanned the crystal for clues. "I think we're dealing with some kind of powerful mystic force here. It could be anything; an aeon, Wyvern, Immortal."

"Hmm. Possibly a new breed of aeon. You've heard the legends; Wyverns and Immortals are extinct."

"Yes." Zexion replied from the crystal. "But they're _legends_, not fact."

"This is true." Marluxia joined his younger companion by the crystal. "What if it is an Immortal? What if--"

_Extinct?_

Both Marluxia and Zexion gasped at the sudden voice. Turning around, they came face-to-face with a dark specter floating in the opening of the cave. Its face was completely shrouded by shadows, and it wore a long, musty cloak.

Readying his scythe, Marluxia growled at the ghastly figure. "Who are you?"

The entity, in turn, did not reply. Dark tendrils sprouted from its form and slithered along the ground.

_How little you both know._

In an intant, the coils of darkness shot out and wrapped around the pink-haired male. The more he struggled, the tighter the coils gripped. His scythe clattered to the ground, and the wisps of darkness spread to his throat. He couldn't scream, and he knew Zexion would be unable to help.

"MARLUXIA!" The younger male shouted. Unfortunately, his cry caught the attention of the specter and he backed against the wall, not wanting to be caught up in the impending chaos. Of all days to forget to bring a weapon! "Get back!" He shouted, charging at the figure.

Another tendril rapidly appeared from the figure and struck Zexion to the ground. Clambering back to his feet, the younger male gave a panicked cry as the tendrils seemed to be melding into his companion's body. Rushing over to Marluxia, the younger male tried with all his might to break the bonds, but they held strong. Another coil of darkness gripped the male by the throat and tossed him into the wall. With a resounding _crack_, the younger male fell to the ground, motionless.

Panicked, muffled screams erupted from the older male's throat, but the tendrils increased in number. It wasn't long before Marluxia's entire body was consealed within the darkness, and the smoky substance fused with his body. With a sharp gasp, the pink-haired male's body slumped to the ground, coughing and wheezing.

A slight grin slid across his face.

"Excellent. Finally, a body that doesn't reject me."

Confused and disoriented, Zexion slowly awoke, sluggishly lifting himself off the ground and stumbling to his feet. Blinking a few times to clear his vision, the younger male noticed his companion standing by the crystal, alone.

"Marluxia!" Zexion raced over to his friend. "Are you okay? Where'd the ghost go?" The older male didn't respond. His eyes remained focused on the ground below him. "Marluxia?"

A low chuckle erupted from his throat. Zexion raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"Fool."

The very same coils of darkness erupted from Marluxia's body, just as before. Zexion yelped and jumped back. "It can't be... No... Marluxia!"

The older male's eyes were a brilliant shade of gold, and the nasty sneer never left his face. Turning to face his companion, his voice was deep and inhuman. "You're of no use to me. Goodbye." Pulling out his scythe, the pink haired male attempted to slash the younger male across the chest, but Zexion quickly leapt out of the way. Unfortunately, in the midst of the slash, the younger male's arm was severed, and he shreaked in pure agony. The darkness twisted and coiled around the pink-haired male's body, and Zexion looked up, whimpering.

Ignoring the agonizing pain in what used to be his left arm, Zexion's voice was hoarse, but laced with anger. "W-who are you? What--ugh! What do you... you want?"

"Hmph. You may be of some use after all."

"TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT!" Zexion forced out, choking on a mound of blood.

Raising his scythe, Marluxia pointed to the opening of the cave. He sneered. "I want you to tell everyone... that Ansem has returned."

-----

"Sora! Namine! Come on already! You said you'd be ready ten minutes ago!"

Namine's head poked out the window of the shack. "Coming!"

Riku sighed and shook his head. "Good grief, what am I gonna do with that girl?"

A resounding crash erupted from the shack, startling the silver-haired male out of his thoughts.

"No, wait! Sora, use the sta--"

"YAAAHOOOO!"

Slamming the window open, the hazel-haired warrior leapt out, still laughing manically. Landing heavily on his feet, Sora turned towards Riku and saluted him, grinning.

"Number one Immortal, Sora, reporting for duty!"

The front door of the shack slammed open, and Namine bolted out. Seeing that Sora was alright, she gave a heavy sigh of relief. "..._please_ don't do that again."

"Where's Angelo?" Riku asked his younger companion.

"Don't worry." Namine replied, still slightly out of breath. "It's all taken care of. The caretaker came by eariler to pick him up."

Still grinning, Sora blindly looked around. "Hey, you guys seen Titania?"

Riku and Namine looked at each other, confused. "Who?"

"Titania! My Wyvern. I know he's around here somewhere..."

Riku and Namine remained in silence for a few moments before Riku spoke up. "Namine, I think he means the doll."

"Oh! Sorry, I forgot to give this back to you." Namine smiled, handing the plush toy to Sora.

"That's okay. Once I wake up Titania, we'll be on our way." Sora replied brightly. Namine realized what he was about to do and stopped him.

"No, wait. We have our own ride. You should let him rest for a bit more."

"Really? What're we riding on then?"

"An airship."

Sora gazed at her blankly. "...what's an airship?"

-----

"Wooooohoooo! I love airships!"

Sora stood on the deck of the _Falcon_, laughing and whooping happily. Apparently, there weren't any airships during his time, and this had been his first time. He'd ridden Wyverns before, but none that were this fast or massive. It was incredible.

"Hey, Riku! Make it go faster! Faster!" Sora called down from the deck.

With a slight chuckle, Riku turned to Namine. "Remind me why we brought him again."

"Oh, hush. He's excited, let him have his moment."

It wasn't long before Sora's voice erupted from the deck once more. "Where're we going next? Is it far? I hope it's far! I don't wanna get down!"

Riku sighed and shook his head. "Man, the way the legends decribed them, I figured that the Immortals were always these dead-serious, kill-or-be-killed type guys. We're got one acting like a twelve-year-old in a candy store!"

Namine only giggled. "Well, you know how legends tend to misinterprate things."

Eventually the airship began to slow down ("What's wrong?" Sora whimpered. "Is it getting tired?") as they approached their destination. A dirty, rundown town to the north of Mideel; Treno.

-----

_**Treno Inn**_

_**2 hours later**_

If there ever was a place with the worst problems with gambling, crime, or alcohol, Treno was the place. Overrun with lowlifes from all across the world, it was a challenge just to walk along the streets without getting mugged. But for Sora, Riku, and Namine, another challenge awaited them in this hellhole.

A few days ago, on a routine trip for medicinal supplies, a young Red Mage had gone to the local bar to get a drink, and was brought down quickly by a rare poison slipped into the drink. Just barely managing to crawl away with his life, the Red Mage arrived at the inn, and promptly collapsed in a heap.

Like the White Mages, the Red Mages' numbers have decreased steadily over the years, until only a few were left. The Red Mage had been running a deadly fever since the incident, and didn't have much time left.

"Are the Red Mages really almost dead?" Sora asked quietly.

"Yeah..." Namine replied. "Ever since the war."

Sora's heart dropped. "War?"

"I'd say it was about a hundred years ago." Riku added. "'The Great Wvyern War', we called it. Ever since Melcanum was unleashed onto the world, people slowly began to hate the Wyverns and killed them off, one by one. Most of the warriors were Red Mages, since they were the most skilled in both recuperative and offensive magic."

"Wait..." Sora stopped walking and looked at his friends with a mix of curiousity and sorrow. "Melcanum's still alive? I didn't kill it?"

"You did manage to weaken it pretty badly." Namine replied, hoping to lift his spirits.

"Oh..." Sora whispered, clutching Titania tightly.

"Things probably would've been worse off if you didn't fight it in the first place, Sora." Riku commented with a grin, even though the other male couldn't see it. "There's still hope, now that you're back."

"Yeah... " Sora grinned. "Thanks, guys."

"We're here." Namine spoke up.

Even the inn was in terrible shape. Several letters on the sign had fallen off, the curtains were ripped, and, somehow, half of the door had broken off. Grafitti lined the walls, and trash was everywhere the eye could see. Stepping inside, the inn was as bad as it looked on the outside. Half of the beds were broken down, the sheets were hardly washed, and only one man was running the entire place. He was stiff and unmoving, most likely dead.

"Welcome! Welcome to our beautiful inn!" The man suddenly shouted, causing the three travelers to jump. So he _was _alive. "Just for tonight, we have a wonderful special! 200 munny for each room! How about it?"

"Oh, stuff it." Namine spoke up. "We're just looking for someone. Did you see a Red Mage walk in here a few days ago?"

"R-Red Mage? Um... uh... I-I have no idea what you're talking about. Heh, heh. Heh..."

"He's over here, Namine." Riku called out from the other side of the inn, causing the man behind the counter to jump.

"Wa-wait! You don't wanna go back there... I mean, heh..."

"His heartbeat's racing." Sora spoke softly, blindly gazing at the man. "Something you're hiding?"

"What aren't you telling us?" Namine asked the man.

"Well... uh, you see... that... that guy over there. Um, yeah... he hasn't moved from that bed in quite a few days, so I think he's dead." A shockwave spread throughout the three travelers. "If you wanna go check it out, that's fine, I guess, but, ah..." He leaned over to whisper in the young mage's ear. "You're- you're not gonna mention this to the higher-ups, heh... are you?"

"It depends." Namine replied. "You see, my friend here with the fancy clothes... yeah, he's an Immortal. And if we find out that the mage really _is _dead..."

Right on cue, Sora quickly unseathed Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi. Placing Amaterasu within a quarter of an inch of the man's face, he grinned.

"This won't end well." Namine finished. "Got it?"

"G-Got it." The man whimpered, and Sora withdrew his two swords. "He... he's in the back."

Without a word more, the man handed the girl the keys to the Red Mage's room, and promptly hid behind the counter. Unlocking the door, the three travelers found the man in worse shape than had been described.

"Maybe the clerk was right..." Namine whispered, walking slowly into the room. "Maybe he really _is _dead."

Walking over to the bed, Sora silently placed a hand over the unmoving man's chest. "No, he's alive. There is a heartbeat." He turned to his friends. "It's weak, but it's there."

"Alright. I'd better get started then." Rolling up her sleeves, the young girl made her way to the mage's bedside, opposite Sora, and placed one hand on his forehead, and the other on his chest. "I'll need you to tell me how I'm doing though, Sora."

"Okay." The warrior nodded.

Finished, Namine closed her eyes and began to concentrate. A soft humming could be heard in the small, silent room as the mage's hands began to glow a gentle shade of blue. Over time, the mage's colour began to come back, slowly and surely, and his breathing eventually calmed.

"Esuna." Sora whispered, hoping not to break Namine's concentration.

"How did you know?" Riku questioned quietly. "Can you actually see it?"

"No. But I know this feeling. It's... really weird, I don't know how to describe it."

"Sora." Namine's voice quietly broke in. "How's he doing?"

Looking down at the man, the warrior noticed his heartbeat becoming stronger by the minute. Esuna was definately working, breaking down and washing out the toxin out of his system. There were still traces of poison around the heart, but nothing to be too concerned about.

"Most of it's gone, but keep going for good measure." Sora replied.

"Okay."

It wasn't long before the man's brow furrowed and a small groan reverberated from his throat. The toxin was gone.

"That's good, Namine." Sora piped in.

The glow of Esuna died from the young mage's hands and she slumped to the ground, exhausted. The older mage gave another groan before his emerald eyes shifted open slightly. The poison was gone, no doubt about it.

"Hey..." The mage croaked weakly. "This... this ain't my room. Where am I?"

"You don't remember what happened?" Riku asked.

"Uh..." The mage held a hand to his head. "Nope."

"How are you feeling?" Sora questioned.

With a grunt, the mage sat up in bed. "Better than I have been, thanks." He paused. "Say, wasn't there someone else with you guys just now?"

"Down here." Namine replied from her position on the floor, still slightly out of breath. "My name's Namine, that's Riku, and that's Sora."

"Say, thanks for all your help guys, but I gotta get going." The mage slipped his feet over the edge of the bed. "I gotta make some deliveries in Midgar."

"Why don't we come with you?" Namine replied brightly, climbing to her feet. "There could still be some side-effects from the poison, and we can help you make the deliveries. Midgar's a big place, after all."

The mage shrugged. "Alright, I could use the help. Thanks."

With that the mage slipped off the bed, slightly unsteady on his feet at first, grabbed his supplies and headed for the exit with Sora, Riku, and Namine in tow.

"Say, what's your name, anyway?" Namine asked.

The man stood in silence before replying. "Axel." He then walked off.

Sora turned towards Namine. "He seemed hesitant." He whispered in the girl's ear.

"We better not bring it up again, then." She replied.

"Yeah."

A moment later, an agonized scream erupted from the town, and the four travelers bolted out of the inn.

Right there, near the town's entrance, stood a man with short periwinkle hair and black clothing. Blood poured dangerously rapid from his left arm-- or, what used it used to be. Sobbing and screaming wildly, the man slumped to his knees in agony as concerned townspeople gathered around him, one asking the other what they should do. Without missing a beat, the four travelers pushed through the crowd to reach the man in time.

Placing a gentle hand on the man's back, Namine calmly asked, "What happened?"

At her voice, the man's head shot up to meet her gaze. He grabbed her by the collar roughly and screamed, "He's gonna kill us all! Run! RUN! We're gonna die! We're gonna die!"

"Calm down." Sora intervened. "Who's going to kill us? What are you talking about?"

"Calm down?!" The man screeched. "_Calm down_?! My friend's been possessed by some evil spirit and, in case you haven't noticed, I'm missing an ARM! HOW DO YOU EXPECT ME TO 'CALM DOWN'?!"

At this, Namine promptly slapped him across the face, hard. "Listen to me! The more you freak out, the more blood you'll lose. Calm down. You need to tell us who did this. Who possessed your friend? Who did this to you?"

Still gasping for breath, the man's voice was soft and trembling. "He... he said his name was... Ansem. He did this to me. He possessed my friend. I tried to stop him, but I wasn't strong enough."

Sora, Namine, and Riku went pale with shock.

"...Ansem?" Sora quivered.

The man nodded. "We encountered him in that cave in the Calm Lands. Marluxia wanted to check it out."

"Did he say anything?"

"Y-yeah... he... he didn't say anything other than to tell everyone he's back. I don't know what he wants." The man replied softly and fearfully. "Oh god, it was horrible!" He sobbed. "I just want my friend back!"

Namine patted his back reassuringly while looking upon Riku, Sora, and Axel with disbelief. Axel and Riku moved to help the man get to safely, while Sora just simply stood there, lost in thoughts that seemed to be going a mile a minute. He just couldn't believe it.

Melcanum was alive... and now Ansem was too.


	4. The Heartless

_**Hindsight: Chapter 3**_

_**Over Treno, The **_**Falcon**

_**One day later**_

The trip to Midgar was quintessenically quiet.

The shock of Ansem's return had begun to sink into the three travelers, and nobody truly knew what to say. Axel, of course, didn't truly appreciate the graveness of the situation, and instead took to complaining about what an outdated ship they were traveling on. Sora still sat outside on the deck of the ship, but hadn't once started whooping or laughing. Riku and Namine understood completely why.

From the legends, they heard about what had happened; how Sora intended to sacrifice himself to avenge his fallen beloved. But now... both Melcanum and Ansem were alive. It was like he didn't do anything at all.

But it also meant a second chance. Hopefully, Sora would realize that soon.

"Man, and what the hell is this? Does this even do anything?" Axel's annoyed voice piped in. "How do you guys manage to get around in this heap? I tell you..."

"I wonder we could get in trouble if an _accident _were to occur?" Riku muttered to Namine.

"...could afford to get something a little better looking, at least. And..."

"We're almost there." Namine whispered back. "Try to endure a bit longer, okay?"

"...a moogle's shop is in better condition than this. And--"

"Well!" Namine suddenly exclaimed, clapping her hands together. "I'm... gonna go see how Sora's doing. Riku, you stay here with Axel."

"What?! Uh... I mean..." Riku stammered, quickly glancing back and forth between Axel and Namine. "Why, of course." The silver-haired male nervously laughed, then grabbed Namine by the collar. "You won't be long, right?"

"Um... uh... hey, are we almost there?"

"Where?!" But before Riku could say anything more, the White Mage was gone. "Damn."

-----

Opening the hatch leading to the deck, Namine cautiously peeked out. As far as she could see, there was no sign of the hazel-haired warrior anywhere. No wonder they couldn't hear him.

"...Sora?" The mage called out, but failed to hear a reply.

Climbing onto the deck, Namine placed her hands to her hips and looked around. Where on earth was he?

_Sure hope we didn't leave him back in Treno... _She worriedly thought. "Sora, where are you?"

"Over here!" Came the enthusiastic reply, followed by a shrill screech.

To her surprise, a giant, silver Wyvern emerged from under the ship with Sora on its back, traveling at about the same speed as the ship, possibly faster. When did he ever release Titania?

"Come on, Namine! He won't bite!" The hazel-haired warrior called and waved to his friend.

Still feeling unsure, Namine backed up and got a running start before leaping off the ship. Just barely managing to reach the monstrous Wyvern, Sora grabbed her hand and pulled her up. The mage was slightly frightened; Sora couldn't even see where he was going.

"Sora, are you sure this is safe?" She cautiously asked.

"Not really!" He replied brightly, causing the mage's heart to drop. "But it's fun!"

"How do you even know where you're going?"

"Titania knows! Don't let his looks fool you, he's a lot smarter than you think."

"The Wyvern... knows?" Namine asked, curious. "How can he? He's just an animal."

At this, the Wyvern's golden eye turned towards her. He grinned. "_Just _an animal, you say?"

The mage gasped. "What? You... you can talk?"

"I told you!" Sora grinned. "Titania's not dumb."

"Yes. I suppose that people have already forgotten that over the course of 200 years, have they not?"

Namine only sat there, dumbfounded. She'd never met a talking animal before, let alone a talking Wyvern. It truly was amazing how a couple of centuries can change people.

"Namine?"

"Sorry, Sora. I'm... still getting used to the whole 'talking animal' thing."

"Speaking of which. Sora." The Wyvern looked up to the hazel-haired warrior.

"Yeah?"

"Since we'll be in Midgar, we should go say hello to Nanaki. It's been quite a while."

"Hey, wait." Namine piped in. "This Nanaki... he's still alive? After over 200 years?"

"Yeah." Sora replied. "Or at least, he should be. He can live for a really long time."

The mage just sat there, dumbfounded. "Who is he?"

"Just an animal." Titania replied with a grin, then swooped down to their next destination; Midgar.

-----

_**Midgar**_

"What the hell... ?"

"Axel..." Namine's voice trailed off. "What happened here?"

Between Midgar and Treno, both cities were normally in pretty bad shape. But something was seriously wrong with Midgar.

Out of the 500 people supposedly living in the city, not a single soul could be found. The entire city was in complete ruins, and a heavy downpour flooded the streets. The only signs of movement were the tiny, black creatures scurrying about.

"Where is everyone?" Sora asked. "I don't sense anybody here."

"I'm not sure." Riku replied, then pointed to one of the creatures. "But I think those little black things could be the reason."

"Who are they?" Namine asked. "_What_ are they?"

"Steer clear of them." Sora's voice piped in again. "If Ansem did this, then those little creatures must be his Heartless."

"Heart... less?"

"Yeah. That's what we called them back home. They're beings without hearts; known to attack without warning, and very dangerous."

"They do this to the city?" Axel questioned.

"How bad's the damage?"

"There's pretty much nothing and nobody left." Riku replied.

Sora's glazed eyes shifted downward. "Definately Ansem's work then." His gaze blindly shifted back to the Heartless. "And I think I know what happened to everyone." He added softly, as a Heartless mindlessly twitched and scurried back into the cloying shadows.

"Damn..." Axel whispered. "I was really gone that long?"

"You were sick." Sora consoled. "There was nothing you could do about it."

He shook his head. "Damn it! That's it. I'm sticking with you guys until I kill the bastard who did this. He's not gonna get away from me!"

"Oh, great." Riku muttered softly. "More in-flight complaints."

"Axel?"

With a gasp, the Red Mage frantically looked around. Someone was still here!

"Who's that? Where are you? Don't move!"

"Axel, in here." The voice was coming from inside the church.

Sora, Namine, and Riku shared a confused and suspicious look. The city's been completely demolished-- why did she sound so calm? What if it was a trap by the Heartless?

"Aerith? Aerith, don't move! I'm coming!" Axel cried out, then bolted towards the church without a second thought.

"Wait, Axel!" Sora called after him. "The Heartless!"

In a flash of blinding speed, a mass of Heartless shot after the redhead, entangling him in a web of darkness and halting his movements. The darkness expanded in size and began dragging the mage into their unknown depths, despite his frantic cries of help.

It _was _a trap, after all!

Sora, Riku, and Namine rushed over to the redhead and desperately attempted to pull him out. The Heartless' grip was stronger, and the three travelers were being dragged down with him. Wisps of cloud and smoke enveloped the three, and they struggled valiantly to free Axel and escape.

"Axel, hang on! We're going to get you out!" Namine called out to the redhead, who was almost completely consealed.

The number of Heartless continued to increase, and all four travelers were nearly engulfed by the darkness. At that moment, a roaring howl erupted from the rain-filled skies, and a flash of red rushed past the four. It skidded to a halt, and a brilliant emerald flame erupted from its mouth, scorching the Heartless engulfing the four, and driving them back.

The shadows retailiated; sinking into the ground, rushing past the creature with blinding speed, and emerging again only to attempt to bring it down with them. The creature snarled and whirred around, slashing at the Heartless with its claws, and driving them back. The mass of Heartless reformed, and completely surrounded the animal. The flame on the back of the beast's tail erupted into a massive blaze, and, in another blast of emerald flame, the impending shadows were annilihated and the others retreated back into the ground. The red creature then turned its attention back to the four travelers, who gawked upon it with awe.

"Are you alright?" It asked.

"Yes." Namine replied, shaking off her excitement. "Thank yo--"

"NANAKI! I knew it was you! You _are _here!" Sora yelled happily, jumping on the creature and hugging it tightly. "I missed you so much!"

"Sora?! My word, is that you? It's been so long!"

_That's Nanaki? _Namine thought. _I thought Titania was just being sarcastic..._

"Wow. He's... furry." Riku nodded numbly. "Who is this guy?"

"Apparently, he and Sora are good friends." Namine responded. "The Wyvern said so."

The silver-haired male only looked on dumbfounded. "Talking Wyverns... ancient warriors... I definately need a vacation after this." He muttered.

"What happened here, Nanaki?" Sora asked his furry companion.

"Yes, well..." The red beast began. "It's been like this for a couple of days now. For some reason, the Heartless have returned, and they attacked without warning. There were so many of them." Nanaki shook his head. "I didn't think I'd be able to escape from them alive. They've grown more intelligent than last time, mimicking familiar voices to lure the unsuspecting into traps."

"Then..." Axel began, his voice trembling. "Then Aerith... is--"

At that moment, the church collapsed in a heap of smoke and rubble. Aerith's figure emerged from the rubble, only to dissolve and fade in a shroud of shadows.

"...a victim of the Heartless. Yes." Nanaki finished.

"Unbelievable. I'm gone for a few days and _this _happens?!" Axel screeched, striking his fist into a nearby wall.

"Axel..." Namine gently spoke. "Even if you had been here, you would've--"

"I wasn't able to protect them!" Another strike.

"Axel, please. Calm d--"

"They all died because of me!" Strike.

"AXEL!"

Suddenly, the Red Mage felt a sharp pain around his ankle and found Nanaki biting down on it. Hard. This caused the red-haired mage to stop in his actions and slump to his knees, still pounding the ground slightly with one fist.

"There was nothing you could do." Sora echoed his previous remark. "Heartless of this number shouldn't even be tackled. You're lucky to be alive."

"Yeah?" Axel muttered. "And how do _you _know? How do I know you're not just another trick?"

"I've dealt with these things before." Sora replied calmly. "I've seen what they can do and how little time they could do it in. But it's not entirely hopeless. They _can _be stopped."

Axel didn't reply. Climbing back to his feet, the red-haired mage stood with his back to the four. Turning to the rain-filled sky, the mage sighed.

"Sora?"

"Yeah?"

"This... Ansem guy. He's controlling these things?"

Sora nodded. "I'm positive of it."

"So... we just gotta kill him and they'll stop?"

The hazel-haired warrior shrugged. "I... I don't know. It could stop them, it could make it worse. But we won't know 'till we try."

"Ansem was killed before and the Heartless disappeared." Namine added. "We could just do it again."

"There's two problems." Riku turned towards his younger companion. "If we killed whoever he's possessing, he'd just fly off and find someone else. And Sora gave everything he had just to stop him. We have to remember Melcanum's out there, too."

Axel scoffed, then turned around. "What, that flying lizard? You're worried about that?"

"Nobody's been able to kill it, Axel." Namine spoke.

"And I'm not spending another 200 years in a crystal." Sora shuddered.

"Huh?" Axel scratched his head, then jumped up. "Whoa! Wait a sec... you're _that _Sora? The big Immortal hero everyone's always takin' about?"

Sora gazed at Axel with a blank expression. "Um... I thought it was obvious."

"...seeing how he knew me." Nanaki added.

"...and the whole 'Wyvern Rider' thing." Namine added to Nanaki's comment.

"...not to mention being a blind swordsman and all." Riku finished.

"Er... oops." Axel sheepishly laughed.

"Anyway." Namine cut in. "If you're so smart, how do you expect to beat Melcanum?"

"Well..." Axel began. "It's so easy, I thought you guys would figure it out."

"Aaand... ?"

A wicked grin spread across the red-head's face. "Guns. Big guns. And just blast the crap out of it."

A long moment of silence incurred.

"Guns. We... shoot it." Namine spoke in disbelief. "A 50 foot, all powerful Wyvern capable of leveling entire cities within minutes... and we shoot it."

"...and here I thought it was something logical." Riku muttered, while Sora and Nanaki only snickered.

"Come on, guys. Guns! Shoot its heart, it'll go down!" Axel raved.

"Let's go."

With that, Sora, Riku, Namine, and Nanaki walked past the eager red-head, who only just stood there, dumbfounded. With a huff, the mage crossed his arms and glared. Hestiantly, he followed suit.

"Well, I thought it was a good idea."

Just as the four travelers were set to leave, Sora felt something small and warm brush against his arm, and he heard Namine give a surprised gasp. Little balls of light swirled and spiraled around the city, their energy illuminating the storm-filled sky. Whatever they were, he felt their presence everywhere.

"Pyreflies? Why are they here?" Namine asked.

Sora was a little confused himself. "Pyreflies don't form when people become Heartless... what's going on?"

The pyreflies continued to dance and twirl in the dark sky, their numbers growing rapidly by the minute. Where in the world were they coming from?

Suddenly, the glorious white light illuminating from the balls of energy fizzled into an ugly blue, and the light radiating from them became distorted and erratic. Their slow, gentle float turned into a quick dash and they spiraled madly, seemingly forming something. A bright light erupted from the corrupted pyreflies, and the shape of a creature emerged with a moaning howl.

"What the hell is that?" Riku exclaimed over the howl, readying his sword. "Another Heartless?"

"I don't know, but we can't let it out of the city!" Sora yelled back, readying Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi.

At that moment, something strange happened to Sora's two swords. Amaterasu shone gold, while Tsukuyomi shone a deep navy blue. He could feel the immense energy radiating off the two.

"Sora, what's going on?" Namine called out.

Blindly looking at his swords, then back to the mass of pyreflies, Sora shook his head. "I... I don't know. This never happened before."

Before another word could be spoken, a large wing protruded from the pyreflies, and the creature called out once again. When the light faded, it could finally be seen clearly. It appeared to be a man, but had animalistic features. A large, white wing was in the place of its right arm, and red markings were all over its body. Its emerald eyes were narrowed, much like a cat's eyes in the light, and long, silver hair blew in the wind. It snarled wildly and the red markings seemed to grow in power.

"It..." Namine began. "It looks like an aeon, but... something's seriously not right here."

"It's an aeon." Nanaki spoke softly. "It's corrupted."

"And I'd know that feel of energy anywhere." Sora added, his voice doning a touch of sadness. "It's Sephiroth."


	5. A Dark Secret

_**Hindsight: Chapter 4**_

_**Rabanastre, 1793 A.D.**_

_"You there."_

_The boy didn't look up. Shivering from the cold, he huddled closer to the small fire he had created out of twigs and dirt. Sighing softly, the man knelt down and looked the young boy in the eyes._

_"That won't last you the winter. If you continue to sit here like this, you'll die before nightfall. Why are you here?"_

_"I don't have any place to go." The boy whimpered gently. "My mom and dad are gone."_

_"I see." The man replied before climbing to his feet. "And not a scrap of food or warmth to nourish you. How sad."_

_"I can take care of myself." The boy replied, before what little of a fire he had left flickered and fizzled out. "Oh no!" _

_The man could only watch as the boy desperately used two burned out twigs to attempt to start another fire before throwing the frail pieces of wood to the side. He shivered in fear and from the cold. Taking off his heavy jacket and placing it over the boy, the man held out a hand._

_"Come with me. I'll take care of you."_

_Surprised and overjoyed, the boy leapt to his feet and hugged the man's leg tightly, sobbing into the fabric._

_"What's your name, child?"_

_"Sora." The little boy sniffled. "What about you?"_

_Smiling, the man ruffled the child's hair. "Sephiroth."_

-------

_Sephiroth... this can't be you._

_It can't._

_What happened? _

_Why did you give into the darkness? _

_Why did you--_

"Sora, fight!" Nanaki screamed over to his hazel-haired companion, but the boy was frozen in place, swords held up to defend against any attacks.

"I... I..." Sora stammered, backing away slightly.

Sephiroth charged after him, howling errily as he readied his claws. The force of the blow connected with the twin swords, and the hazel-haired warrior grunted as he was knocked back. His reflexes were shot. All he could do was defend.

A shrill screech suddenly caught his attention, and the corrupted aeon was knocked to the side by a mighty Firaga blast. Sephiroth clambered back to his feet and snarled viciously.

"Sora, come on! We can't hold him off like this!" Namine cried.

"I can't fight him... I can't kill my comrade..." Sora muttered, trembling. "I-I won't..."

Before another word could be said, Sephiroth lunged at the White Mage. Namine swung at the creature with her mallet, the heavy wood colliding with its head and knocking it to the ground.

Nanaki backed up to the warrior's side. "He's not your comrade. Not anymore. He's a corrupted aeon that needs to be stopped."

Still trembling, Sora held up his two swords and focused on the chilling energy radiating from the former Immortal. It felt dark and evil, unlike anything he'd ever felt before. Nanaki was right. This wasn't Sephiroth. Not anymore.

The aeon suddenly leapt to its feet, and into the air, teeth bared and claws extended. Namine gasped and pulled up her mallet, squeezing her eyes shut and bracing for the impact.

A couple of seconds passed. Nothing.

Opening her eyes once again, she found Sora about two feet in front of her with both Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi stabbed into the creature's chest. It moaned in gutteral pain and withdrew from the pair as Sora yanked the swords out and slashed at the aeon.

"You're not him." Sora hissed, the angriest anyone had heard him yet. "The Sephiroth I knew would _never _harm an innocent."

The creature fell back, but that didn't stop Sora. The hazel-haired warrior charged after it, slashing with his two swords again, and again, and again. Each blow brought along a shrill screech of pain, but Sora didn't even seem to hear it.

"Sephiroth was brave and true! He defended everyone! Everyone! You're not him! You can't be him!"

As the three travelers witnessed the onslaught, a worried look passed Namine's face.

"Something's wrong."

Slash. Slash. Slash. There was no escape. At that moment, even Sora's face twisted in pain. The glowing of Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi died, and the two swords clattered to the ground. Sephiroth, completely sliced up beyond recognition, dispersed in a flurry of pyreflies. The hazel-haired warrior clutched his head in agony and crashed to his knees. Neon markings crawled up on the entire left side of his body, and he cried out in pain.

"It's happening again!" Nanaki shouted in panic and rushed up to the Immortal's side, Riku, Namine, and Axel not a second behind.

"What's happening?" Namine called back over Sora's cries.

"T-The... curse..." The warrior groaned hoarsely. "Stop it... please..."

"You'll have to do it, Namine. Only a White Mage can stop it." Nanaki spoke softly.

"But... but, how?"

"Just put your hand on his back and concentrate."

Nodding, the mage placed her hand upon the groaning Immortal's back and concentrated her magic on breaking the spell. Slowly, but surely, the neon markings faded and began to recede. The warrior relaxed, still breathing heavily from the pain.

"What was that?" Riku asked.

"Punishment." Nanaki replied simply.

"Punishment? What'd he do wrong?" Namine asked, still confused.

"There was a reason for Immortals to never show signs of intense emotion during battle." Nanaki explained. "When an Immortal is inaugurated, a curse is placed upon them to react to severe stress and emotion. They're to never let any pain or sorrow get the best of them during battle which could be detrimental to the success of their mission, or else they're punished with excurciating pain leveled with the amount of stress they're undergoing to remind them of their task."

"You said it happened 'again'." Riku stated simply.

"It happens once or twice to every Immortal when they first start out. None of them are ever told of the curse and most find out on their own." Nanaki looked down at Sora, who still seemed to be collecting himself. "He was young. Within a few days of being inaugurated, on his first mission, he witnessed a horrible onslaught which put him under a blinding rage. This was the first time the curse got the better of him, and would've most likely killed him, hadn't there been a White Mage around to keep them all in check."

"But this time, it was more personal. Right?" Namine asked the lion-like creature.

"Yes." Sora replied hoarsely, picking himself off the ground lethargically. "I never thought I'd ever have to kill an ally... ugh. I just hope I never have to do it again." The warrior groaned and stumbled to his feet. "Hate it when that happens." He grumbled, rubbing his head.

"So... that's it? He's gone?" Riku asked, looking around.

"Yep. Psycho-Sora: 1, Even more Psycho-Sephiroth: 0." Axel commented, a smirk on his face, earning a well-deserved glare from said 'psycho'. "Just remind me to never get that kid in a pissy mood if I plan on keeping my limbs."

"Who are you to gloat? You didn't even do anything." Namine snapped.

"Morale support?"

"Anyway, Nanaki. Is there any way to break the curse?"

"You would need to find someone extremely skilled in powerful magics who would know all about it, but since Ansem and Sora's supposed 'deaths', the need to inaugurate new Immortals has vanished. The curse spell has been forgotten by many."

"Someone extremely skilled in magic, huh?" Riku pondered.

"What's with that tone, Riku?" Sora asked. "Do you have someone in mind?"

"Namine, what about the King?"

"Oh yeah, that's right! The King's skilled in magic, maybe he'd know!" Namine exclaimed happily.

"King?" Sora echoed.

"King Mickey!" Both exclaimed.

Axel, Nanaki, and Sora just stood there blankly.

"That was creepy." Axel muttered.

"But, wait. Isn't it against the law to break an Immortal's curse?" Sora asked his two conrades worriedly. "You could get caught or executed or--"

"That was 200 years ago, Sora." Namine giggled. "Old news."

"But what about Ansem?"

"Think of it this way." Riku began. "Without the curse, nothing's holding you back. You'll be able to beat him for real this time."

Sora thought about this for a moment. By breaking the seal, he could gain unlimited power he couldn't possibly have hoped to gain before. But, on the other hand, it meant breaking the law he was accostumed to. That all Immortals were accostumed to. Decisions, decisions...

"I'll do it." The hazel-haired warrior nodded. "I'll get rid of the curse."

"So, then! We're off to see the King!" Namine cheered.

"And I'm coming, too!" Axel exclaimed.

"Nah, ah, ah. You're staying." Nanaki scolded.

At this, Axel stopped in his actions. "But... but, I wanna help."

"You can help by cleaning up your mess here." Nanaki ordered. "If you hadn't slacked off on your duty to go to the bar in Treno, you wouldn't have been poisoned and Midgar would still be in one piece. Now, come on."

"They get to visit a king and I gotta clean up trash?!"

"Yes."

"Well... these guys can help too, right? Huh?" Looking back, the three travelers had already made their escape and the _Falcon_ could be seen blasting off into the distance. "...damn, they're good."

-----

_**Onboard the Falcon**_

"Man, that was close. I thought we'd have trash-duty for sure." Namine panted.

"So, where we headed?" Sora asked his companions, still breathless from running.

"Disney Castle." Riku replied simply. "Should only take a few hours to get there."

"This King Mickey... what's he like?"

"Not the type of king I'm sure you're expecting." Namine said with a grin.

"Shame I won't be able to really see what he looks like either." Sora shrugged. "Is he really young, weird, what?"

"Young, kind of. Weird, yes." Riku grinned. "But he's pretty serious when he wants to be."

"I'm sure you two will get along perfectly." Namine added.

"If he doesn't go berserk again, that is."

"Hey!" Sora shot back. "That wasn't my fault."

Suddenly, a tremor shook the ship, knocking the warrior and the mage off their feet.

"...the hell was that?"

"I'll go look." Namine offered, climbing up to the deck, unlocking the hatch and stepping out.

A few moments of silence incurred before a whimper of, "We're screwed!" erupted from the deck. Setting the _Falcon_ on auto-pilot, both Sora and Riku joined Namine on the deck of the ship. Flying directly over the ship was a giant Heartless dragon with a long white mane, cymbals for feet, and very tattoo-like markings all over its body. Ramming the ship once more, the three travelers were nearly knocked off. It gave one last almighty roar before flying off past the ship and dissappearing into the clouds. Namine, Riku, and Sora gazed blankly in the direction of the creature.

"Is it gone?" Namine asked quietly.

Another roar vibrated throughout the ship and as the _Falcon _sped through the clouds, the Heartless was seen readying a powerful electrical blast in their direction.

"Nope." Riku responded.

"We can't attack it like this." Namine spoke. "Should I summon something?"

"I've got it covered." Sora exclaimed, holding out Titania's plush toy, and getting a running start. "Titania, release!"

In a blinding flash of light, the doll stretched and morphed until it took the form of the Wyvern once more. Landing on the mystic creature's back, Sora and Titania leveled with the ship.

"I'll knock it out of the way, but I might need help defeating it!" Sora called back, before taking off with the Wyvern.

Fully charged, the Heartless fired the electrical blast at the ship. With a flick of the wing, Titania deflected the blast back at the Heartless, and the explosion consealed it in smoke. Using a blast of fire to break through the smoke, Titania dove into the clouds to fend off the monster.

But it was nowhere to be found.

"Titania, did we get it?" Sora asked the Wyvern.

The Wyvern looked back at its rider. "No."

A shrill screech pierced the sky and the Heartless plummeted to the ground, ramming into the Wyvern, entangling it within the cymbals. With another blast of fire, Titania severed the cymbals and escaped. Pulling a 360 around the Heartless, the Wyvern prepared a blast of its own and fired directly at the dragon. The Heartless was knocked back, but turned and aimed for its former target; the _Falcon_.

Looking down, however, the Heartless noticed Riku's arm illuminating with a powerful dark energy. He smirked.

"Say goodnight." He hissed, and fired an enormous blast of dark aura at the monster.

Giving off one final screech, the Heartless disintegrated into a flurry of smoke that turned the sky black for a few moments, then dissapated. Silence incurred before a wisp of the darkness floated down onto the ship and reformed into a soft plush toy resembling the Heartless.

"Well, what do you know?" He murmured.

"Alright! Way to go, Riku!" Sora cheered atop Titania, while Namine ran up to the warrior.

"Hey, a summon plushie! Wait, so what was it?"

"A Heartless... aeon?" Sora offered.

"Good enough for me." Riku shrugged, slipping the toy into his pocket before heading back into the ship. "That was fun. Can we go now?"

"I don't think we should be taking the ship..." Namine pointed towards the engine, which had been almost entirely destroyed.

Sora was equally confused. "If the ship's been damaged that bad, how is it still going?"

"We're crashing."

"Oh."

Riku and Namine looked at each other with sudden horror. "We're crashing!" They exclaimed as the ship began to jerk and implode.

Titania swooped towards the ship and growled at the two. "Get up here! Hurry!" Sora exclaimed.

Wasting no time, the warrior and the mage quickly leapt off of the _Falcon_ and onto the Wyvern. Both watched as the ship plummeted to the ground and exploded upon impact.

"Aw man... Roxas is gonna kill me." Namine whimpered.

"Guess we're going by Wyvern, then." Riku spoke.

"Being commandeered by a guy who can't even see." Namine added.

"...you were right. We're screwed."

-----

_Uncharted location, three days later._

"Sire! Sire, there's a problem!"

A fat, cat-like creature sprinted down the hall as fast as its legs could carry it, tumbling a few times along the way. It slammed open the doors, causing the inhabitant inside to look up from his reading. He scowled.

"What do you want?" He asked, obviously annoyed.

The cat-man only stammered, pointing towards the entrance frantically. "T-the Heartess! The one you dispatched! It's--"

"How many times have I told you not to disturb my reading, you irritating little twit? I should've fed you to that NeoShadow when I had the chance." The man continued, not taking in a word his accomplice was even saying.

"But, the Heartl--"

"Or maybe I can call Melcanum in here and--"

"THE HEARTLESS IS DEAD!" The cat-man screamed angrily, fed up with being interrupted.

The man perked up a bit at this, closing the book and eyeing the other occupant closely.

"Storm Rider. The one we captured from the Land of Dragons. You're positive?"

"Of course! What other one would I be talkin' about?!"

"Who?"

"Duh... who what?"

"Who incapacitated Storm Rider, you bumbling idiot?!" The man screeched.

"Jeez. No need to get yer robes in a bunch. Anyhoos, there were these three kids, see? One was kinda small and was wearing this frilly skirt thing, the other had all this tribal mumbo-jumbo and had this freaky-lookin' sword that was kinda like a bat wing or somethin', and... uh... the last one was really weird lookin'. He was wearin' these fancy-lookin' clothes and was riding around on some kinda giant white bird thing or somethin'."

That got the man's attention. "White bird? Interesting..." He pondered, rubbing his chin. "Tell me, what did this 'white bird' look like?"

The cat-man scratched his head. "Uh... well... it was really big... kinda scaly lookin', and it talked. Think it's name was... Titanium or somethin'."

The man grinned. "Titania. This proves it."

"Uh, proves what, sir?"

The man didn't answer. Reaching for his lance, he sat up and pointed it at the cat-man. "Ready the remaining Heartless, Pete. It's time."


End file.
